The commercial production of ethyl acetate is mainly by two processes: the Tischenko reaction produces ethyl acetate by direct conversion of ethanol via acetaldehyde using an aluminum alkoxide catalyst; and the production of ethyl acetate by direct esterification of ethanol with acetic acid with a sulphuric acid catalyst. The Tischenko reaction is the main industrial process for the manufacture of ethyl acetate. Industrial scale production by this method took place mainly in Europe during the first half of this century.
Improvements in the production of ethyl acetate have dealt mainly with finding alternative reaction processes to produce ethyl acetate such as by dehydrogenation of ethanol or liquid phase oxidation of n-butane. Other improvements have involved different catalysts or the use of different unit operations such as the use of membrane separation techniques or advanced distillation techniques. However, little attention has been paid with regard to less costly non-chemical methods to accelerate or improve the production of ethyl acetate. Consequently, there is a need for alternative methods for accelerating production of ethyl acetate.